Pressure sealing closure



Dec. 24, 1968 o. A. ROSENBAUM 3,417,406

PRESSURE SEALING CLOSURE Filed Aug. 16, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 VENTOR. I %umzosewanun Dec. 24, 1968 o. A. ROSENBAUM 3,417,406

PRESSURE SEALING CLOSURE Filed Aug. 16, 1966 2 sheets-sheet a United States Patent 3,417,406 PRESSURE SEALING CLOSURE Donald A. Rosenbaum, 71 N. Smithville Road, Dayton, Ohio 45403 Filed Aug. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 572,867 7 Claims. (Cl. 22.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elongated separable mechanical closure is secured on the outside of the marginal edges of an elongated access opening in a pressure tight enclosure and progressively operated from end to end of the access opening to positively connect the edges of the access opening to each other in parallel relation. A separable elongated magnetic closure is connected to the inside of the marginal edges of the access opening from end to end in closely spaced relation behind the mechanical closure comprising, a pair of flat thin flexible resilient magnetic strips movable progressively into overlapping contacting relation by the closing of the mechanical closure. Closing of the outer mechanical closure brings the oppositely magnetized surfaces into overlapping sealing relation and the outer mechanical closure backs up the inner magnetic strips and prevents slippage between the smooth contacting overlapping surfaces of the strips.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to closures for sealing the adjacent margins or edges of flexible enclosures, and more particularly to pressure sealing closure means for use in pressure suits, pressure containers and the like, which are flexible, easy to operate and provide good reliability and long life.

An object of the invention is the provision of dual closure means for the edges of openable flexible garments or fluid containers and the like subject to internal mechanical and fluid pressures in which an outer flexible mechanical connecting means is provided for securing the edges of the opening into the suit or container together against outward internal pressure and includes an inner flexible overlapping magnetic fluid sealing strip means connected along the mating or closing edges to prevent fluid leakage from relatively higher internal pressure in the garment or container.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a dual mechanical and magnetic closure means for garments such as space or pressure suits, fluid containers, and other types of flexible garments or receptacles, utilizing flexible resilient magnetic strips secured along the adja cent closure edges adapted to be brought into overlapping sealing flexible contacting relation with each other, in which the strips are highly impregnated throughout with finely divided magnetic particles and the adjacent overlapping face portions thereof are magnetized to opposite magnetic polarity throughout the length and width thereof to attract the overlapped contacting faces of the strips into intimate fluid sealing contact with each other, including a releasable mechanical connecting means also connected to the adjacent edge portions of the access 3,4114% Patented Dec. 24, 1968 opening into the enclosure in front of the overlapping magnetic sealing strip means for mechanically connecting the edges of the opening together in front of the magnetized overlapping sealing strips, whereby relative higher internal presssures may move the overlapped sealing strips toward the mechanical connecting closure means to force the adjacent overlapping magnetic contacting faces of the magnetized fluid sealing strips into tighter sealing contact with each other and resist expansion of the suit or container due to internal mechanical or fluid pressures.

A further object of the invention is the provision of elongated flexible resilient spacing strips disposed inwardly and between the outer mechanical closure connecting means and the inner overlapping substantially parallel magnetic sealing strips for spacing the magnetic overlapping fluid sealing strip inwardly out of the way of the mechanical connecting means during the connection thereof.

A further object is the provision of a pair of smooth, thin, elongated, flexible fine magnetic particle closely impregnated strips secured along the mating edges of an access opening in a pressure-tight enclosure or garment, for overlapping smooth contacting and fluid sealing relation between the entire overlapping adjacent contact surface portions thereof and magnetized to opposite magnetic polarity for drawing the overlapping strip surfaces together into intimate fluid sealing contact with each other and including elongated somewhat tongue and groove shape positioning means formed in the adjacent contact surfaces and extending longitudinally from end to end thereof for positioning and aligning the magnetic strips in predetermined longitudinal overlapping substantially parallel relation with each other and while the mating edges of the exterior mechanical connecting means are being brought into their coupled internal mechanical and fluid pressure resisting relation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front or plan view of a portion of a pressure-tight enclosure or container, such as a pressure or space suit incorporating the invention, in which the portions of the enclosure, container, or pressure suit are cut away or stepped down and the mechanical closure or connecting means comprises a substantially conventional zipper structure, and showing the enclosure or container closed by the zipper and sealed by the elongated contacting surfaces of the magnetized overlapping fluid sealing strips.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional view taken about on the plane indicated by line 22 in FIG. 1 with the suit, or enclosure, or fluid-tight container, shown partly in dot and dash lines. It is contemplated that both the inner overlapping magnetic strip closure means and the outer mechanical pressure closure means can be fastened along the marginal edges of the same flexible fluidtight enclosure or container opening.

FIG. 3 is also a detailed transverse sectional view, like FIG. 2, but illustrating the zipper or mechanical closure means unzipped and the flexible overlapping magnetized strips partially separated as would be the case when the mating or marginal edges of the enclosures are being separated, or being brought toward each other to close the container or pressure suit, prior to zipping up the same as seen in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional perspective view of a portion of the two oppositely magnetized flexible smooth surfaced elongated sealing strips by themselves, showing the substantially V-shaped tongue and groove intermediate formations extending longitudinally between the inner and outer longitudinal edges of the magnetized strips.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat similar view showing a slightly modified form of shallow substantially double tongue and groove positioning means formed in the magnetic strips, showing in dotted lines a portion of the marginal edge portions of the fluid-tight enclosure which are connected to the rear edges of the strips.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view showing a further modified form of the longitudinally extending positioning means in the form of dual longitudinal double V-shaped position determining complementary grooves or channels and tongues formed in the flexible magnetic magnetized mating or overlapping strips which are adapted to be secured to the marginal edges of the access opening, and showing the mechanical connecting closure means closed in dotted lines, and in the form of a zipper for resisting outward or lateral movement of the magnetized overlapping flexible magnetic fine particle impregnated strips.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the reference numeral 1 denotes generally a pressure and fluid-tight enclosure, such as a high altitude pressure suit, a fluid or liquid container, or the like, in which an enclosing material 2, such as plastic or coated fabric, has an access opening having separable marginal or mating edges 3 forming the opening 4 for gaining access into the interior 5 of the pressure suit, container or enclosure 1.

A pressure resistant fluid sealing openable closure is attached to the marginal edges 3 and 3 which consist of two cooperating inner and outer functional parts indicated generally at 6 and '7.

The first closure part 6 is fluid sealing and comprises a pair of elongated flexible smooth surfaced, fairly thin, magnetic strips 9 and 10 which are secured to the marginal edges 3 by any suitable means such as by cementing or by stitching 8 as shown, the strips having sufficient widths to materially overlap each other throughout the length of the access opening 4, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the access opening is closed.

These overlapping flexible strips 9 and 10' are magnetic fluid sealing when the overlapping adjacent smooth surfaces thereof are brought into positive surface contacting relation with each other as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, and in the modifications in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The strips 9 and 10 are fairly thin and highly flexible, and may be extruded or otherwise formed from a suitable plastic, rubber or rubber-like composition or material, such as nylon, polyvinyl, etc., which is highly or closely impregnated throughout with finely divided magnetic particles, for instance finely divided Alnico or steel particles and each strip having its opposite surface portion magnetized to opposite magnetic polarity throughout its length and Width and disposed or secured to the marginal edges 3 of the access opening 7 in the pressure suit or container 1 with the contacting and overlapping surface portions of opposite magnetic polarity disposed in or for surface contacting relation with each other. For instance the contacting surface portion 9a of the strip 9 (as seen in FIG. 3) is magnetized to north or polarity while the other adjacent contacting surface 10a is magnetized to south or polarity, thus effecting a magnetic attraction between the overlapping or overlapped flexible magnetic fluid sealing strips 9 and 10 to draw them into intimate smooth surface fluid sealing contact with each other.

To assist in positioning the strips 9 and 10 in their predetermined desired overlapping substantially parallel relation to each other as they are brought together into overlapping relation, and tend to resist lateral slippage or displacement, the strips are formed with longitudinal somewhat tongue and groove V-shaped portions 11 and 12, as seen more particularly in FIG. 4, thus tending to hold the marginal edges 3 of the suit or container opening 4 in the desired positions while the mechanical connecting closure means 7 (shown as a zipper) is disposed for easy manipulation or coupling, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The outer functional or mechanical connecting means 7 between the outer or adjacent marginal edges 3 of the enclosure comprises a conventional zipper structure 13 with the runner 14. Other forms of exterior mechanical connecting means 7 may be provided (not shown) such as snap fasteners, hook and eye structures, etc.

The purpose of the mechanical connecting means 7, such as the zipper 13, is to resist outward mechanical strain and expansive pressure stresses in the suit or container, and resist lateral slippage between the overlapping magnetic strips 9 and 10 and upon relative increase in pressure stresses within the enclosure 2 the mechanical closure means 7 backs up the magnetic closure 6 so to speak so that the internal pressure back of the overlapping strips 9 and 10 then forces the inner magnetic strip 9 into tighter fluid sealing contact with the outer magnetic strip 10.

As seen in FIG. 2, the enclosure may comprise an outer flexible fabric portion 3a having the marginal edges 3 and an inner or plastic impervious flexible liner 3b having the marginal edges 3 to which the magnetic strips 9 and 10 are attached, or the strips may be wide enough to be secured to an outer impervious enclosure at a suflicient laterally spaced relation to the marginal edges 3' (FIG. 2) to provide a flexible portion to which the mechanical closure (zipper) is secured.

Also, to resiliently displace the mechanical closure 7 forward out of the way of the magnetized strips while overlapping and sliding the m'agnetic strips 9 and 10 into their predetermined overlapping relations, and preventing accidental engagement with the runner 14 with the magnetic strips as the closure is zipped closed, a pair of soft resilient flexible spacing strips 15 may be secured to the enclosure 6 between the outer and inner closures 7 and 6, adjacent the longitudinal edges 3' of the enclosure 2, either by being stitched or cemented in place.

In operating the dual closures 6 and 7, particularly where there would be no differential internal and external pressures present, the magnetic strips or flaps 9 and 10 would be placed in overlapping relation as seen in FIG. 3 and the oppositely polarized magnetized contacting surfaces'would attract and draw the contacting surfaces to- Ward each other substantially as shown. Being a light contact at this time the magnetized flaps 9 and 10 could either be easily slid across each other to engage the tongue and groove portions 11 and 12 as shown in FIG. 4 and the zipper closure 7 is operated, or the operation of the Zipper 13 by the runner 14 would slide the flaps 9 and 10 across each other into their predetermined overlapping sealing relation. The cushion strips 15 will displace the magnetic strips or flaps sufficiently inward to prevent engagement or interference between the runner 14 (or other closure means) and the magnetic closure fluid sealing means 6, making the zipper closure easy and convenient to operate with little likelihood of jamming.

When the runner 14 is operated to unzip the mechanical closure 7 the V-shaped tongue and groove aligning means disengages easily by lateral sliding separation pressure at the marginal edges of the enclosure due to the inclined or sloping side walls of the grooves. Of course, the spacing cushion strips 15 might be omitted and the mechanical closure 7 allowed to contact the face magnetic closure 6 during the closing operation of the access opening 4 somewhat after the manner shown in FIG. 6, in which a double V-shaped tongue and groove enclosure is employed, indicated at 16 and 17, while the zipper-type closure is denoted at 18.

FIG. 5 also shows a rather shallow double tongue and groove positioning means or formation 19 and 20 formed in the overlappable magnetic strips 21 and 22, in which the impregnated fine magnetic particles are also closely distributed therethrough, and magnetized so that the entire adjacent contacting surfaces, which are preferably smooth so as to be slidable easily on each other, are magnetized substantially uniformly but to opposite magnetic polarity to draw these smooth surfaces toward each other into tight fluid sealing contact with the longitudinal V-shaped tongue and groove structure camming the strips into the desired overlapping (parallel) relation, to provide a yieldable magnetic interlock between the strips against the lateral sliding displacement. When the zipper is closed and internal pressure is present the magnetic outer strip is backed up by the zipper closure while the inner magnetic strip is forced into tighter fluid sealing contact, and the interlocking connection between the outer mechanical closure takes the stress of the internal pressure while the inner magnetic strip closure provides the fluid scaling function.

For purposes of exemplification a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described to the best understanding thereof.

However, it will be apparent that minor changes and modifications in the arrangement and construction of the parts thereof may be restorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A flexible impervious fluid pressure tight container or the like having an elongated access opening thereinto, dual closure means for closing and sealing said elongated access opening comprising a pair of elongated flat smooth overlapping fluid sealing flexible strips, said strips having longitudinally extending cooperating V-shaped interfitting grooves, said strips being highly impregnated with fine magnetic particles and secured to the inside of the container along the opposite marginal edges of said container access opening and movable over each other for overlapping surface contacting fluid sealing relation with each other when said access opening is closed, said adjacent contacting overlapping surface portions of said strips magnetized throughout the length and width thereof to opposite magnetic polarity, an outer elongated separable mechanical closure means connected along the opposite edge portions of the outside of the container access opening in closely spaced relation in front of said flexible magnetized overlapping surfaces of the strips from end to end thereof to back up the fluid sealing strips from end to end against internal pressure within the container when the access opening is closed, to force the overlapping magnetized strips into tighter fluid sealing surface contact relation by internal pressure within the container, upon relatively greater internal pressure within the container than on the exterior thereof and resist sliding movement between the overlapping contacting surfaces of the strips.

2. In a flexible impervious fluid pressure tight enclosure or the like having an elongated access opening thereinto, dual cooperating mechanical and magnetic pressure closing and fluid sealing means connected along the entire adjacent longitudinal edges of the elongated access opening for simultaneously closing and sealing said opening comprising, a pair of relatively thin elongated flexible resilient smooth fluid sealing strips, said strips having longitudinally extending cooperating U-shaped interfitting grooves, said strips being impregnated with finely divided magnetic particles and slidable on each other into overlapping fluid sealing surface contact relation with each other in closely spaced relation under said mechanical closing means when said access opening is closed, said magnetized strips having the adjacent contacting surface portions thereof magnetized to opposite magnetic polarity throughout the length and width thereof, said mechanical closure means extending longitudinally throughout the length of said access opening and disposed outwardly in front of said magnetic sealing strips and including manually operable means for progressively closing said access opening, movable into interlocking engagement, connecting the sides of said opening together from one end thereof to the other end to progressively slide said overlapping magnetic strips on each other into predetermined overlapping substantially parallel sealing contact relation and resist lateral sliding displacement of said magnetic strips on each other when said mechanical closure means is moved to closed position and to back up said flexible resilient magnetic overlapping fluid pressure sealing strips into tighter surface contacting relation in closed position upon relative higher increase in internal pressure within the container.

3. A flexible impervious fluid pressure tight enclosure or the like as set forth in claim 2 in which said flexible magnetized strips are formed with V-shaped complemental interengaging portions extending longitudinally between the inner and outer edges thereof and between the overlapping fluid sealing magnetic contact surfaces for yieldably positioning and retaining said strips in said predetermined substantially parallel overlapping relations when said access opening is being closed by said manually operable closing means.

4. A fluid internal pressure tight enclosure as set forth in claim 3 including soft resilient elongated spacing strips disposed adjacent the edges of the access opening and between the inner magnetic overlapping strip closure means and the outer mechanical closure means for yieldably spacing the inner closure means relatively inward from the outer mechanical closure means during the closing of said container outer mechanical closure means to prevent interengagement and jamming between the same during the closing of said access opening by said mechanical closure means.

5. In a space suit and a pressure sealing closure therefor, said suit having an elongated openable access opening therein and comprising an outer flexible confining fabric enclosure and an inner impervious ibladder like lining enclosure, a pair of elongated magnetized smooth flexible impervious flaps secured to said inner lining along the adjacent edges of said access opening to overlap each other in fluid pressure sealing relation when said access opening is closed, said flaps comprising flexible nonmetallic material closely impregnated throughout with finely divided magnetic particles with the adjacent overlapping contact surface portions thereof magnetized to opposite magnetic polarity and formed with substantially V-shape tongue and groove formations extending longitudinally between the longitudinal edges of the flaps for yieldably interen-gaging the adjacent overlapping magnetized flap contact surfaces as said flaps are brought into said overlapping relation, outer mechanical closure means connected to said outer fabric enclosure along the adjacent longitudinal edges of said access opening. and manually operable closing means for engaging and drawing said mechanical closure means together in front of said flaps into interlocking engagement to slide the oppositely magnetized contact surfaces of said flaps across each other in predetermined overlapping relation to interengage said substantially V-shape tongue and groove formations, whereby the flaps and tongue and groove formations are magnetically drawn toward each other into magnetic fluid sealing contact relation while the mechanical closure means resists internal pressure expansion of the suit upon relative lower external pressure on the exterior thereof.

6. A pressure suit and sealing enclosure as set forth in claim 5 including an elongated relatively narrow soft flexible resilient spacing strip disposed adjacent each edge of the access opening between one of said overlapping sealing flaps and the outer mechanical closure means for 7 8 yieldably spacing said overlapping flaps from said me- 2,385,816 10/1945 Krupp 2-2.1 X chanical closure means to prevent interference and jam- 2 27 097 2 1953 Ellis 24 1 ming therebetween during the closing or opening of said mechanical closure means by said manually operable 3266112 8/1966 Heckman 2 96X means r FOREIGN PATENTS 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which said meo chanical closure means comprises a conventional type 842, 7 9 Gr at Britain.

zipper and the manual closure means comprises the runner for opening Closing the i HERBERT F. ROSS, Primary Examiner.

References Cited 10 4 7 2 US. Cl. X.R. UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 05-11201 1,991,943 2/1935 Keviczky 2-96X 

